


How not to flirt, but still end up together

by Lilablassblau



Category: Castle
Genre: Developing Relationship, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-18
Updated: 2015-10-18
Packaged: 2018-04-26 23:30:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5024866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilablassblau/pseuds/Lilablassblau
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When partnered up with Ryan, Esposito knows he is attracted. From there to actual ending up together it takes banter, intervening colleagues, well-meaning, if slightly violent friends and some honesty.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How not to flirt, but still end up together

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to the lovely detective_rysposito for the quick overlook of what I call my writing. It's mostly light, but couldn't help the minor angst. Just getting a hang of writing the characters. I hope you enjoy.

He didn't flirt.

He did not flirt, because Javier Esposito, _Detective_ Javier Esposito, was a professional and this new guy, the blue-eyed rookie, was much too pretty for his taste.

And yes, maybe, just maybe, dear Lanie, that Irishman would have been right down his alley if he had met him at a bar. But he had met Kevin Ryan, a newly transferred Detective from Narco - who on earth puts such a bright eyed kid into Narcotics anyway?! - not at a bar, but here in the precinct, as his new job partner.

Instead, what Javier, Espo to all his close colleagues, did was grunt at Ryan, or snap or growl or flat out ignore that sunny smile.

At first, Ryan, seemed to ignore his moods, even brought him coffee, then his smiles became less and the wrinkles on his forehead - yes, even those stupid wrinkles looked cute - became more. And after a month of one-syllabled replies and ignoring any attempts to invite Esposito - Ryan was cute, he could admit that at least for now, but they weren’t close and God forbid considered friends - the rookie finally got off his case.

So maybe his smiles died down, and Esposito thought he had achieved his goal and Ryan had gotten the message, but a) a frowny Ryan was not any less distracting and b) he had to admit that Ryan was not bad at his job.

And then there was this one time where Montgomery walked by his desk and hit him over the head. So everybody around the precinct must have noticed mopey Esposito and sad Ryan. His Captain didn't even bother to add something, but when Javier looked up, he saw Beckett's stare.

Message received and maybe, feeling a little shitty for ignoring his partner - forced or not, that what this guy was - he put a coffee on Ryan's desk the next morning. If Ryan noticed that it was exactly to his taste - three spoons of sugar and a bit of milk - he didn't comment, just nodded a thanks, a tiny smile on his lips and Esposito might have liked him some more for it.

He still didn't flirty, when he invited Ryan for a beer after their second closed case, ignoring Lanie's wink and Beckett's eyeroll. ‘Cause beer was just what partners did. What he and Ike had done.

No, what he and Ryan did, was banter. After one and a half months, Ryan bit back to Espo's jabs. And yes, he was Espo to Ryan now, just as it was much shorter to yell while pursuing idiots down stairs.

The banter started out of the blue and Espo realized with a jolt that Ryan could take as much as he could give. And if that playful "Don't promise things you can't keep!"-comeback to his snapped, "Ryan, hold still or I'll cuff you," when he had tried to bandage Ryan's minor knife wound, ended up influencing the topics of his adult film search, then it was only a healthy, homosexual reaction on a dry streak, right?! And no one asked you, Lanie!

So what, Beckett ended up calling them "Rysposito" after two months and the damn rest of the bullpen followed suit. It only meant, he and his partner, his very adorable, smart, fast-mouthed, blue-eyed partner, were a tight team.

Espo did not make lovey-dovey eyes at that dork, no matter how well they ended up working together. And yes, sure, his heart jumped, at the realization that Kevin - only ever at their Madden-nights; he was never Kevin on the job - did like women and men. It was much easier to work with an open minded guy, right?! Nothing to do with the chance that maybe Kevin would consider him as a suitable partner outside work.

No, Javi, only snapped at Kevin, because that brunette didn't fit and nodded happily, when the next week this girl was gone. Jealous? Him? Over a guy that likes "2 cool for School"? Give him a break. Not even the bluest eyes - and no one could beat Kev's eyes - could achieve that.

After half a year of being Rysposito, Javier brought a guy to an after work meeting with the gang and this time he could openly admit that he hated the betrayed look on Kevin's face, when he was introduced to Sean.

And he definitely didn't like that Kevin forgot his morning coffee for the next three days. He even blew off Madden-night and when he declined an invitation to Mamma Esposito’s, Javi knew he must have fucked up.

Lanie just rolled her eyes over the body, when he pointed at Ryan's retreating back. "All week long since our night out," he hissed at the ME. As soon as Ryan had left with some shitty, half-assed excuse, Lanie had slammed her hands down. "What the hell, Javier?!" And then she had gone on a lengthy explanation on the psyche of Kevin Ryan.

Starting with: "What had Ryan asked you before you went out for that night?" He had known right away, because by now Espo had given up on pretending that he didn't hang of on every word of his best friend. "He wanted an early Madden night - all expenses on him," he prompted right away.

"And what did he wear that day?"

"Oh, that awesome jacket I got him last Christmas. Knew it would suit him!"

"So, why the hell would you bring another guy in, you idiot?" Lanie was angry, that much was certain. "For months, you chased away every guy, girl or even dog that could get too close to this fluffy partner of yours, and when that poor dude - he is still a guy after all - gets through the mess that are your mating calls and we girls get him to fess up to you, you tear his heart apart by 'Sean'?"

Okay, Javier was not sure why everybody felt the need to put his date in quotation marks, but he understood what Lanie tried to yell at him. Ryan, more accurately Kevin, had asked him over for a date, a real, interested in sex and maybe so much more, capital "D" Date.

"Why would he think that I-" Javier wasn't sure what about Ryan caused his colleagues to make them slap Javier repeatedly over his head, but it started to hurt. "If you tell me now, you are not interested in Kevin, I will smack you until you forget where your Mamma lives, Javier! This boy endures every growl, rant, and snap of yours since day one. He still brings you coffee and occasionally some donuts just to suffer those poor attempts at flirting. And boy, does he have a mouth on him, when you both have those very weird verbal makeout sessions. Taking everything into account, plus he is spending time with you during his free time without anyone forcing him to; it is clear to everybody that guy likes you! Hell, he even said so!"

"Ryan tells everybody he likes them," Javier interrupted, jumping back, when Lanie raised her hands again.

"You even have a ship-name, Rysposito. He is good for you. He takes care of you. The unis are glad to have him as your buffer zone. We all, that especially includes Kate, me, hell even Montgomery, are glad you got Ryan. God knows what such a nice guy sees in you, but if that means you shave, put on cologne and even smile, do yourself a favour and go for it."

Javier wisely caught himself before he told her that he only did that whole shaving routine, as Ryan once had commented how much that look suited him. Maybe, she did have a point and he completely was into his best friend, his strange thirst for trivia, his smile - God, that smile! - the way his slacks hugged his - yeah, totally gone, he was in love with Kevin.

And if he had been honest with himself, he had known, since that night Kevin had fallen asleep on his couch, looking so very irresistible curled up around his pillows. And damn it, it had been hard enough to accept another partner after Ike, he couldn't mess that up by being all touchy feely and then messing it up by his usual stupid antics.

No really, Espo sucked at relationships. No one should suffer through that disaster, least of all Kevin Ryan. So, blue-eyed Sean it was. And yeah, he now understood those quotation marks.

"I never saw a puppy being kicked, but since that night I have a good idea what it looks like!" At least Lanie was done. His poor and last attempt at protesting - "What about the Cap?" "What part of 'even Montgomery' was unclear to you?" - was over quickly and Lanie sent him to 'get Ryan, apologize, make out, have sex, whatever to put that sunny smile back on this much too symmetrical face'.

Of course he had to catch Ryan at home, as he had left work before him like he always did since 'Sean'. So, he had taken the gumball - it was an emergency after all - and then had waited at Ryan's couch.

Ryan had come home with reddish eyes and a sniffle - had he become allergic to something in the fall? - and then jumped out of his skin, when he saw his partner on the red couch.

Of course, he knew Espo had his keys, but his reaction showed he hadn't expected to see his partner there. His verbal reaction was grumpy at best. "Get out," he mumbled, again rubbing his allergic eyes - maybe some late blooming pollen? - and without looking up went to his bedroom.

"Dude, Kevin, come on, I didn't know it was a date," he tried to explain through a closed door. "If I had known, I would have told you about Sean right away, being my best friend and all, you should have known," he continued to the silent barrier, putting an emphasis on 'and all' and boy, did that rattle his friend.

He threw open the door and slammed his fist right into Javier's Chest, again and again until he shoved him against the back of the sofa.

His face showing tear streaks - fuck fuck fuck - and his lips were in a tight line. "Listen, asshole," he snapped. "You had your fun, can't you even leave me some dignity and let me fucking cry on my own?"

"My, my fun?"

"Yes, haha, stupid Kevin thinking you would go for someone like him, it's high school all over again, and that one time in college if you need some more fodder for your amusement."

So, it wasn't just jealousy, no Espo had managed to convince one of the most romantically optimistic guys - Mr. ‘walking on a beach during full moon is not sappy and ok for guys as well.’" - that he had just played him. And why would anyone turn down that guy?

"Kev...," he started weakly.

"Gods, that therapist must have been right with all that 'emotional unavailable Daddy' bullshit, cause look at you. You barely cracked a smile at any of my jokes for the first two months and I thought that this must be love," he rambled on, clearly not caring anymore what his partner would do with that added information.

As all he was right now, was sad as he could be and clearly miserable over Javier. Grumpy, messy Javier, with communication-problems a mile wide.

"Kevin, I -" His voice drifted off, when he saw those tears buildup.

"What, Javier, you what?" Kevin snapped and rubbed at his eyes again.

"You are awesome, man," he began, which prompted some more miserable sobs. Why was that so hard? "How can I make this stop?" He asked and yes, he clearly was bad at this, as now Kevin shifted to murderous again. "Stop what?" His voice cooling down to arctic.

"Your- this, I hate to see you cry," he finally got out and yes, at least no violence, and no new sobbing. After some heavy swallowing, Kevin finally replied. If he was being sarcastic or just very shy, Javier couldn't tell: "Go on a date with me, tell me you really really like me, and then stay until after a few nights of uncomplicated sex?"

His first thought was 'Gods, what kind of jerks had Ryan dated before him?' Maybe not the best reply. And yes, he finally had learnt his lesson and did not say his first thought, but fished for something better.

He settled for "Okay." and that left Ryan speechless, so Javier said it again. And yeah, Kevin was still torn between crying and ripping him a new one, but in the end, Javier got him to agree to a date and they went out and Kevin was all cute and adorable, when Javier complimented him and was all attentive and keen on pleasing Kevin.

And after a year of amazing sex, great dates at the beach - yes at full moon, Javier made sure of that - and moving in together as that did save rent after all, Kevin was still slightly astonished that Esposito would insist they should get married.

And yeah, there was this short unease, when Castle joined their little team and Kevin was a bit too fanboyish, but then his then fiancé pointed out that writer boy was staring at Beckett. 

And when Javier claimed his ownership by leaving too obvious evidence one night for Castle not to notice - who even patted his shoulder as a guy's way of saying, 'well done, my friend' - that was sorted out as well and their wedding was small, but beautiful and Kevin Ryan was now officially Ryan-Esposito.

And if that hadn't made him all tingly, then he would have given up on himself. But, as it was, he accompanied Ryan to his high school reunion, let his husband drag him around proudly, was just a bit grumpy about it and maybe in between he was seeking out that asshole - closet gay, what a fucking no-surprise there - to establish the fact that no one messed around with his love.

After over 2 years solid relationship and newly and happily married, it was only right to call Kev his 'love'. ‘Cause that's what he was. And to hell with everybody who didn't agree, especially his old self.

This intelligent, freakishly good looking and all around great guy had chosen to be with him - Javier, not very good with words, short tempered, maybe looking good when in a leather jacket Javier. And yeah what better reason was there to be so very smug about it, as when an Ex asked "Wait, you are married to him?"

Well, maybe that happy, 'being taken care of the ‘Zito-way'- look on Kev's face the mornings after - Castle's words, not his - made it even a bit more obvious that his partner was so much more to Esposito.

So, yeah, Javier Esposito did not flirt, unless you were his husband of three years and work partner for five. Then he let the florist deliver those lilies Kevin liked, hold his coat open and of course complimented his outfits with a quick up and down of his eyes. And then in the elevator he put his hands way too low for not being PDA, but being a pro was overrated after all and this partner of his much too pretty to leave untouched.


End file.
